New Skoda Superb review, test drive

Skoda’s new Superb blends even more space, size and value in one stunning package. But just how good is it? Shapur Kotwal drives it.

Published on Feb 12, 2016 12:31:00 PM

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Surprisingly, it doesn’t feel as big from behind the wheel.

New Superb now has a much more sophisticated design, with plenty of bold cuts and creases all over the body.

As I hit more open roads and freeways, or motorways as they are known here, I allow the Superb to use more of the engine’s power. This version of the diesel makes a not-too-shoddy 187bhp (we’ll only get the 180bhp version initially) and though I’ve been surfing the huge wave of torque you normally get after 2200rpm, I now allow the engine to wind further up the powerband. VW Group’s diesels have always been impressive, but this new generation truly takes the game ahead. It no longer feels like it has massive reciprocating mass, it no longer feel traditional and ‘heavy’ to drive and what suits the car particularly well is the fact that power builds nicely till around 4500rpm. Power delivery is linear and smooth, and with no sudden hit of boost or sudden shove in the back, you don’t get to ‘feel’ all those diesel horses.

As traffic thins out, I come upon quieter sections of country road where I can keep my foot down for longer periods in the higher gears. And then I get a taste of the true performance potential. There’s plenty of zing from around 3000rpm onwards and the Superb keeps on accelerating, express train-like, in a continuous and seemingly unstoppable manner.

It feels decently quick too, enough to do 100 in under 8 seconds and, as I found out the previous day at the track, it easily crests 200kph. That, for a big diesel barge like this, is pretty good. Wish it was slightly more refined though; the engine note is gravelly at times. A bit more insulation wouldn’t really have gone amiss, and then there’s the fact that the lighter build of this new MQB platform makes a car of this size feel a bit less solid than the earlier version.

I stop near a meadow to take some pictures, but am soon back in the car as a drizzle returns – so much for the weather report. After a bit, I see another sunny, dry patch ahead, but this time, it’s the GPS that stops me. We’ve reached a waypoint I’ve noted as ‘nice driving road’. And, as I discover a bit later, a very nice road it is indeed. Broad enough to let three cars pass easily, it is well paved and follows the natural lay of the land over a set of low-lying hills. And because the corners are open and visibility is good, you can drive without having to worry about being surprised by oncoming traffic.